Nicky Hilton pens a fashion book, gives away her wardrobe

Cristina Gibson studied journalism at Loyola Marymount University. While completing her senior year, she landed an internship at E! as an online writer and reporter. Cristina went on to write her own daily column called Hollywood Party G...

Nicky Hilton wants to help you dress better

She may have been born a Hilton but Nicky wasn't born with killer personal style. The 30-year-old, who recently relocated back to New York City from Los Angeles, admits she made some fashion missteps herself before finding her own signature sartorial sense.

Nicky recalls how her mom Kathy used to dress her and sister Paris as twins, even when they were teenagers walking red carpets. She didn't find her own fashion footing until "towards the end of high school," she admits. "I've been lucky to grow up around some of the biggest fashion designers in the world, modeling, designing and seeing it from every angle. I've learned a lot," she told us of what inspired her to pen her own book.

Photo credit: Evan Agostini/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Her book includes an entire chapter on how to find your own personal style, as well as a quiz to help you figure out your own unique fashion fingerprint. But don't be afraid to try a new look that's outside your comfort zone. "At the New York Ballet, I totally stepped out of my element and wore this Valentino Couture blue gown and had my hair up with big emeralds," Nicky recalls. "It was a real departure from how I usually dress and sort of that Cinderella moment."

Once you've decided on your own style MO, it's time to clean out your closet. Nicky's four questions to ask yourself when debating whether to ditch or keep an item are as follows:

1. Is it your size?

Is it flattering?

Is it me

Is it ruined?

Once you've decluttered your closet and tossed old clothes, then it's time for the fun part: shopping. Using her 365 approach, you can maximize your wardrobe without blowing your budget each season. "The 3-6-5 was invented to help simplify a woman's wardrobe," Nicky explains. "The 3 stands for the most common occasions you dress for; 6 represents the six clothing staples and 5 stands for the number of accessories you need."

In fact, Nicky is cleaning out her own personal closet to celebrate before her book goes on sale Sept. 2. When you pre-order it from Amazon, Target or Barnes and Noble and send in your receipt, you can win pieces straight from her wardrobe. She shows off the goods for grabs on her Instagram and is announcing two lucky winners each Friday. Two recent giveaways included a Celine bag and Christian Louboutin shoes. Sign us up!